A Light In The Dark
by cranberry1
Summary: Rori runs from a life that no longer wants her, only to find herself in a world that she doesn't want. Rori has always had magical powers, but she is more powerful than she knows.Now a teacher at Hogwarts and a spy for both sides, partnering up with Snape
1. Vagabond

"Get out of this house! Get out!"  
  
"But Mom! I didn't mean t-," Rori tried to explain.  
  
"Get out I said! Or I will call the police! I'm warning you! Pack up and leave! I don't ever want to see you again!"  
  
"But I .."  
  
"You are a danger! A murderer! I pray that at least God can forgive you for what you have done!"  
  
Rori didn't wait around to hear what else her mother had to say. She dashed upstairs to her room and threw everything she could into her bag. All the essentials: some clothes, dollar bills and the spare change she had, her dagger, her cigarettes, and her precious journal. It was near the end of August, and she didn't know how long she would be gone, or alive, so she grabbed a sweater and threw it on. She ran back downstairs and past the kitchen, where she could hear her mother crying. She tried not to look, to see what would haunt her memories forever. She shut her eyes and pushed her way through the screen door and down the rotting front door steps. An enormous black lab came bounding after her, barking like mad.  
  
"Dante stay!"  
  
Dante stoped.  
  
"Dante s-sit," Rori tried to choke through the now forming tears, "Stay, you s-stay here and look after mom," she sniffed.  
  
Dante gave a whimper and sat down.  
  
"I'm sorry, baby," she said as she walked over, "I can't stay here anymore, but I'll try to come back when I can. Be good for me, okay? Stay here and be watchful. I'll be back sometime, I promise," Rori tried to hold back the tears and gave a weak smile. She gave him a cookie she had in her pocket and turned away, not looking back.  
  
She had been walking for hours, and it was getting dark. Where would- where could she stay? She had no money and it was getting dark. The streets of the city were not safe at night. She had never really gone there during the late hours because of all the stories she heard of people being robbed, raped, and killed. She was always good at defending herself, but the dark made her feel uneasy, alone and vulnerable.  
  
Now it was almost pitch black, save for the few street light that were still functioning. She remembered passing a car lot one day that held old beat- up cars. She could find shelter there for the night, but only for the night. Rori refused to lead the life of a bum, but for the time being, it was her only option. "It's not every day you need a plan to lead the life of a vagabond because you were kicked out of your house for being responsible for someone's death now, is it?," she sarcastically thought to herself, extremely frustrated with her current state of affairs.  
  
The gates of the car lot were chained together, and there were no openings along the fence as far as she could see. She stared at the chains intensely for a few seconds, then closed her eyes tightly. It was difficult to concentrate every time she shut her eyes because all the memories from the past few days came flooding back into her mind. "You have more control than that!" she whispered to herself. She stared at the chains again, closed her eyes. Slowly, the chains began to rattle and the lock came undone. Rori looked around to see if, by chance, anyone saw. There was nothing around but a lonely street light at the end of the block. She carefully pulled the chains off and went inside.  
  
There was a beat up little red car in the corner of the lot, with most of it's body still intact and the seats in the back still had the covering on them. "This'll have to do," she sighed, and went to sit down when something caught her eye. There, on the other side of the car, was a tall figure standing ominously in the dark. She blinked and it was gone. Rori gasped as a velvety gloved hand grabbed her mouth and waist, pulled her back, and dug something into her side- a gun?  
  
"I knew if I approached you, you would not be so willing to talk to me," the voice whispered. "I am not going to hurt you. Not yet, anyway.You are special, you have something that not many people have and no one understands you. You were thrown out of schools, and were kicked out of your own home because of this gift you possess.a gift you don't' have much control over."  
  
Rori gasped. "How does he know this?" Rori thought, "Had he been watching me?"  
  
"Yes, I was watching you," the stranger quietly laughed, "and I have some good news for you, my dear. I know of others who possess gifts similar to yours. I'll take you to them if you wish. After all, what other choice do you have? I'm going to let you go now, don't scream." Rori nodded nervously.  
  
The strange man let go and Rori took a step away from him and began to turn around to see.her rapist? Murderer? What would he do to her? She expected to see a dirty, scruffy bum with a knife.knife! Rori inconspicuously felt for her knife in her pocket, but it was gone.  
  
"Looking for this?" he said, as Rori finally turned around to see a tall man dressed in black with blonde hair and stunning, icy blue eyes. His cape was billowing in the night breeze and was tauntingly waving her knife.  
  
"Give it to me," she demanded and held out her hand. The man placed the dagger in her hand and Rori immediately flung herself at him, she was lightning fast, but not fast enough. She swung the knife at.air. He disappeared.  
  
"Don't waste your time with that, your powers are not developed enough," the voice came from behind her, "One day you will be able to do that with at least a chance of succeeding, but not yet," the man smiled and walked back towards Rori. "Ready to go?"  
  
"Go where? I'm not going anywhere with you."  
  
"Yes you are."  
  
"What? You think you can scare me? Well, lemme tell you, you got another thing coming," said Rori, keeping her eyes locked with his. She had strength in her voice, but she was still afraid of what could happen to her.  
  
"Strange, because I seem to remember you shivering not long ago. Others know of your existence, and you are very much wanted. So if I can't have you, someone else will get you and they won't be as kind. But, how could you believe me, if you do not see for yourself?"  
  
Rori looked down at her knife, it's cool blade in her hand, then she looked at her bag, sitting in the beat up little red car in the corner of the lot. The bag was her, all alone, filled with nothing but the essentials for survival. No friends, no family, a vagrant with no attachments whatsoever. She needed to get out of here. He was right, she had no future in a beat up car in a lot. She grabbed her bag. The man put out his hand. She looked up at him, consumed in his gaze and lifted her hand to his. Their eyes locked, she was mesmerized. A cloud of dust whipped up around them. Rori shut her eyes and felt her feet leave the ground and her stomach drop. 


	2. Taken In

The next thing Rori knew, was that she was lying in a bed, but where? She was afraid to open her eyes, afraid that it was all real and that it wasn't all just a bad dream. Her heart raced and she opened her eyes. Anxiety swept over her, she wasn't home in bed, she was in someone else's.  
  
She was surrounded with velvety soft pillows and silky sheets- all black. The bed was large, but was nothing compared to the enormous room. The ceiling was high and three wall length windows faced her, edged with deep green curtains, the morning (was it morning?) sunlight pouring in. Rori sat up in the bed but a throbbing headache forced her to lie back down. She closed her eyes and tried to think.  
  
What had happened? She could remember being very frightened and icy blue eyes. But there was something else that wanted to be remembered. she was standing in the middle of a large room that reminded her of a basement, cold, dark, and damp. The shadows kept moving.they were people, not shadows.with masks. Something had immerged from the darkness.blood red eyes shone out from the black.then, suddenly, excruciating pain ran through her veins, in her brain, pounding the backs of her eyes.a voice was in her head.someone telling her to relax and not worry, that it would be all over soon...her father's face.foggy eyes-  
  
Something outside the door moved. Someone was out there. Rori braced herself for the worst, even though she didn't think anything could be worse than what happened last night. The door opened slightly, and she could hear footsteps, but saw no one.  
  
"Excuse me," squeaked a voice from the side of the bed.  
  
Rori didn't move.  
  
"Ehhhh, y-yes?" Rori stammered.  
  
"Here you are," the timid little voice said, as a tray of food appeared on Rori's lap.  
  
She sat up and peered down at a little wrinkly creature, wearing a white bag, looking up at her with two giant eyes.  
  
"Thanks," Rori said.  
  
The creature looked down at its toes like an embarrassed child. "If you is t-to n-need anything else, just say the word and it will be yours," it said.  
  
Before Rori could say another word, the creature scurried off. She had so many questions she wanted answered. One of those questions had been answered: How to fill her empty stomach.  
  
Rori ate her breakfast which consisted of hot Belgian waffles topped with vanilla ice cream, and a glass of orange juice-her favorite! Next to the glass of water sat a smoking goblet with a little note propped up next to it that read Headache? Drink this. Rori polished off her meal and was satiated, it wasn't a big waffle, but somehow it was filling. Rori looked down at her plate to see it gone, in fact, all was gone, except for the still steaming goblet that she was tentative to touch. In the place where her waffle sat a black envelope that shone with silver lettering that read: Aurora Marie Fitzgerald. Rori grunted at the sight of that name. She hated the fact that she was named after a Disney character, and she especially hated that name Fitzgerald. It wasn't even her real last name- it was plain and boring, and Rori knew she was anything but that. But what bothered her the most about that name was that it reminded her of the rest of the plain, boring, stupid old family she used to live with. Angered, Rori tore open the letter:  
  
Drink the contents of the goblet if you have any wish to get rid of that nasty headache. There is a change of clothing for you in the closet.  
  
It was only then that she realized she was not wearing the clothes she left her house in. Instead she was wearing black pants and a black tank top made of silk. Rori shuddered to think of how she came to be in them and pushed it out of her mind. She read on:  
  
After you change, Tabatha our house elf, will come and fetch you. See you soon, dearie! Signed, Narcissa  
  
Whoever this Narcissa was, she seemed kind enough, and besides, what did she have to lose? Her life? Big deal. Rori picked up the goblet and drank up the rancid smelling liquid Scratch that, Rori choked down the liquid with disgust. Immediately after forcing down the drink, her headache disappeared. She crawled out of bed and walked to the right of the bed toward the gorgeous armoire on the wall. She opened one of the doors and saw nothing. She pulled open the other door and found, what she assumed was her designated outfit.  
  
Rori looked at herself in the mirror on the inside of the armoire. She looked good, but felt ridiculous. The clothing was like nothing she had ever seen, it was like some fancy costume she only saw in movies. It couldn't be Halloween, it was August.probably. (Who knew? It could have been in the sixteenth century for all she could tell). She was wearing black slacks and a deep green velvet corset. She matched the décor of the room.how wonderful. Over her corset and pants she had on a black robe that stretched to the floor. It was held together at her bust with a small silver pin in the shape of a snake, tapered at the small of her back, and flowed down from there.  
  
She turned around in the mirror admiring herself and then frowned when she saw the rat's nest that sat atop her head. With a snap of her fingers her hair twisted itself into a mass of curls at the back of her head.  
  
"I love not having to use hair spray," Rori announced to herself in the mirror. There was a knock at the door. Rori opened it and found the same little elf as before, Tabatha. It was the only creature she encountered who's name she knew.  
  
"Follow me please, miss."  
  
"Where are you going to take me?"  
  
"I is not allowed to say, miss," squeaked Tabatha.  
  
"If you do not tell me where you are going to take me, then I will leave immediately," Rori firmly stated.  
  
The elf stood there for a few seconds, stumbling over her words. "I don't know if that is such a good idea, Miss Fitzgerald."  
  
It was that same silky voice from the night before. The owner of the voice stepped into view, a wicked smile on his face.  
  
"Oh yeah?" she replied as she stuck out her hip and leaned on the knob of the door. "And why's that?"  
  
The man looked down at the elf. "Leave," he said to her, and the elf scurried out of sight. He took a step into the room, but that was as far as he went, for Rori stepped directly in front of him.  
  
"You are a sassy one. It's going to get you in a lot of trouble someday," said the man with a threatening tone.  
  
Rori didn't budge.  
  
"Why don't you tell me who you are, first of all? And perhaps why I'm here? Oh! And maybe you tell me what the hell happened to me last night? Because I would really appreciate it." Rori regretted those words almost immediately. She said them in the same sarcastic tone that used to get her in trouble with her foster parents and at school.  
  
The man was angry, actually, he looked more like he was leaning towards absolute fury. Rori backed away slightly. The man pulled something out from underneath his robes and pointed it at her face.  
  
"Sit," he said, as a chair appeared behind her. The man closed the door behind him and went nose to nose with Rori.  
  
"My name is Lucius Malfoy," the man said under clenched teeth. "And what happened to you last night, you already know."  
  
"I can't remember it all, refresh my memory," said Rori, also under clenched teeth (there was no way he was going to threaten her).  
  
"I found you tired, pathetic, and alone. You came with me, here, with very little persuasion. There, satisfied?"  
  
"I know that much. What happened after that?"  
  
"Nothing. You slept."  
  
"Why are you lying to my face? I recall some sort of red-eyed monster torturing me in some- some- basement! Or was that just my imagination?!"  
  
Lucius backed away with a look of disbelief.  
  
"What?"  
  
"That will be answered in time. Be patient."  
  
"I want to know now," said Rori, fed up with unanswered questions.  
  
"You will. Later. Discussion CLOSED!"  
  
Rori jumped.  
  
"We have a meeting in a half an hour. I expect to see you in the lobby in twenty minutes." And with that, he was gone.  
  
Rori didn't move for another 20 minutes. 


	3. The Start of a New Life

After the seemingly endless 20 minutes, Rori finally got up from her seat. She didn't know what to think about all that had gone on. Dazed and confused (no pun intended), Rori wandered out of her room and down the hallway. She didn't know where she was going; she just kept walking, as though something was telling her where to go.  
  
She felt as though she had stepped into a Renaissance painting. The hallway was huge, lined with tapestries and paintings, with the occasional statue of a knight (that she swears were watching her). The tapestries were horrifying. People being tortured and killed, but not by the normal standard she was used to hearing about, with strange devices that stretched bodies or twisted limbs. Instead these people looked as though they were being electrocuted. There were cloaked figures with masks pointing sticks at their victims. "Just like last night," Rori whispered in horror.  
  
"Ready?"  
  
Rori jerked her head to see, not surprisingly, Lucius.  
  
Rori shrugged her shoulders, "I guess."  
  
"No. No guessing. There is either yes, or no."  
  
Who was this guy? If he was trying to act like some sort of father figure, he'd better do his research because Rori knew her "father" was one and a million.  
  
"Yes, I am." Rori refused to be intimidated.  
  
Rori followed him down an elaborate staircase into the lobby. From there they went through the enormous kitchen and into what looked like a study. Lucius shut the door behind them and locked it, it was nearly pitch black.  
  
"Sit," Lucius said, as he pointed at a chair.  
  
Rori sat down and felt as though this were one of her numerous trips to the principal's office. Lucuis sat across from her at the desk. Predictably, the study looked like the rest of the rooms, with its old- fashioned atmosphere. Candles around the room lit themselves, giving the room at least some light. Rori nervously bit the inside of her bottom lip and her heart raced. She didn't like this one bit.  
  
"What," Lucius began, "I am about to tell you is all true. I do not embellish any of it. You will listen to me and not interrupt. You may only speak when I say you can..." Rori opened her mouth to speak. "As of now." She shut her mouth. "To begin, I was ordered to track you down and bring you to our world. You are a witch, and an extremely powerful one. You know you possess powers, I know you posses powers. I also know that you have developed your ability with no training and little effort on your own. I watched you for weeks before approaching you. I saw you move objects with your mind countless times- a skill very few witches and wizards from our world have ever possessed. You also know how to read minds; I know this because you have tried to read mine. In fact, you're doing it now.don't bother, because I am going to tell you everything I know about you, besides you do not have enough power to override my sub-conscious." Rori sat in disbelief. She must have eaten something that did not agree with her which caused her to have this nightmare. Lucius continued: "You were adopted when you were very young, about three years old. That is all I know of your past. There is information about you that you can undoubtedly find, but later on. My master will explain all to you when we see him. Which is now," Lucius said, as he looked at his watch. And with that, he stood up and gestured Rori to follow him. 


	4. Scarred

*Author's Note- thanks for all the reviews! Especially those with constructive criticism! Don't worry about the long paragraphs; they will become shorter as I get into the story. I realize that they are long, but now that I'm past introductions and settings I can get into the good stuff ;) (thanks fuschia!) Oh and hollow, Lucius does seem kind of sexy in a really evil way.I guess.maybe I'm the one with the problem.anyway read on! Oh yeah- and that whole disclaimer thing- I don't own any characters, except for Rori and her dog, the rest are JK Rowling's..blah blah, you know the deal.***************  
  
Rori followed Lucius through the house (which seemed to take forever) until they finally stopped in front of an old wooden door.  
  
"From this point on, you are not to open that smart little mouth of yours. You are to be completely silent and only speak when spoken to," said Lucius in a "if you don't do this, I will personally make sure you die" tone.  
  
Rori nodded and they went through the door.  
  
"We're in a closet," Rori regretted saying that, immediately.  
  
"Lumos."  
  
I dim light appeared.  
  
"If I was up to me, you'd be starving in that beat-up car you found as your new home. Never question me. Ever. I am giving you more that you could have ever imagined. The next time you decide to get smart I will erase those lips from your face."  
  
Lucius pulled apart the coats in the closet and drew a door with his wand. The lines shone for a few seconds, and then a real door appeared.He opened it and they walked over the threshold on the other side. They ended up in some sort of a rotting shack.  
  
By this time, Rori was scared out of her mind. Lucius had nothing to worry about because Rori could not have opened her mouth if she tried- she was scared into silence.  
  
The door shut behind them and Rori knew if she opened that door, there would be no closet, there would be no going back.  
  
"We are going to a meeting. My master is to be addressed to with "Yes, my lord," or "No, my lord." And ONLY SPEAK WHEN PERMITTED TO."  
  
Rori followed close behind him through the dark house, and it was a while before she saw any sign of life. A light shone from under a door and she could hear faint murmurs coming from the other side.  
  
Lucius opened the door and glanced behind him, just to make sure Rori was still following him.  
  
"Ahhhh, Lucius," came a raspy voice "so good of you to FINALLY join us."  
  
Rori entered to see something she did not expect: a cozy room, with a fire place going. Something did, however, shock her somewhat (by this time, she had learned to expect the unusual): there was a hideous creature sitting in an ornate, blood read chair. An enormous snake was slowly coiling itself around a man (who, by the way, didn't look the least bit phased). Another man, cowering next to the creature, was wearing a grin of satisfaction that faded as soon as Rori and Lucius entered.  
  
"We were just about to finish Severus off," the creature hissed. "That's enough," he said, and the snake let go of the man and slithered over to its master.  
  
"I apologize for my tardiness My Lord. But you see, Miss Fitzgerald here--"  
  
"Ah, yes, Miss Fitzgerald. How nice it is to finally meet you. How was your stay with the Malfoys?"  
  
Rori couldn't speak. She didn't know what to say for the first time in her life. "Say good, My Lord," came a voice inside her head, a voice that was, most certainly, not her own.  
  
"Eh, good, My Lord," Rori managed to spit out.  
  
"Well, at least you're not completely useless Malfoy," it said, turning to a now ashen Lucius. "Now, my dear, this is my once faithful servant, Severus Snape," his voice full of venom as he waved a hand at the man whose life was threatened by the over-grown snake.  
  
Rori glanced uncomfortably at the man and nodded.  
  
"Take a seat," it snapped.  
  
Rori sat down on one of the two, now existing, chairs.  
  
"Where do you think you are going?" it asked to a now corpse-like Lucius who was making his way to the other chair. "THAT, is Severus' seat. Go feed Nagini," it spat.  
  
Lucius apprehensively made his way to the corner of the room where the beast was resting.  
  
Severus sat down next to Rori, keeping his eyes on his master. "Now, my dear, I need you to do me a service. You will be greatly awarded for your efforts, I can assure you. I will need you be a teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."  
  
Rori thought for a minute then asked, "Is that it?" (so much for speaking when permitted).  
  
The creature gave a sort of groan, as though it was trying to control itself from lashing out at her. She hated herself and her stupid lack of control.  
  
"No, I will also need you to be a spy of sorts, and report back to me along with Severus."  
  
There was an uncomfortable pause.  
  
"Well, what if I don't want to? How do I know your intentions? How- how do I know you're not going to.use me for my abilities then dispose of me? I don't need a repeat of that in my life!" Rori was fumed and at the edge of her seat. She wanted to storm out of the room and go home, but she knew escape was impossible. Her gaze shifted from the creature to the background to see Lucius stare at her with a look of horror, then looked back again at the creature who was smiling. She was in for it now, any smile from this thing can't be good.  
  
"Don't you EVER talk back to me," it hissed. "And when you speak to me, it is an HONOR, therefore, you are to address me appropriately. I am Lord Voldomort. I am your Lord. I rule you. And if you have some sort of problem with that, let's just say I really don't need you, and if you are a problem, I can, indeed, dispose of you if I wish to do so. You will finish out the rest of the week living with Malfoy, who will then direct you to Hogwarts where you will live for the school year. You will teach Potions. I have already acquired the job for you (you're welcome), since that is really the only subject you know about. You and Severus will report back to me ever so often, when I call on you. Now, are there any questions?"  
  
"Yes, my Lord. How am I to know when you call on us?"  
  
"Excellent question. Excellent question."  
  
Rori was suddenly pinned down to the chair with an invisible force so quickly that she had no time to give a small cry of shock.  
  
"This, my dear, is a wand," the Voldomort said, pointing it at her as he began to rise. "Lucius will give you yours before you leave for school. And I.I will give you this."  
  
Voldomort pressed his wand to her forearm and muttered a few words. Rori never felt such pain before. It was as though her arm had been douse with oil and he lit the match. Her arm was burning and she saw smoke steaming up. "He's trying to kill me," Rori thought, as she cried through the unbearable torture. Just as soon as he began, he finished.  
  
"Look at it."  
  
Rori blinked her tears away but more formed. The process, whatever it was, was over, but the pain remained. She finally forced the tears away and looked down at her arm. It was the most hideous thing she had ever seen. She couldn't make out what it was, but it was like a tattoo, only it disappeared only seconds after she saw it.  
  
"When this appears again, that is when you and Severus will report back to me. Hope that answers your question."  
  
**********It gets realllllyyyy good from here, trust me! Please Review! 


	5. No Turning Back

Rori stood outside the door, clutching her arm. The pain was unbearable. She hoped that Lucius would come out soon; Voldomort had asked to speak with him and Severus privately before they left. She just wanted to go back and make herself a healing potion-or just fix herself a strong drink, at least  
  
Lucius came bursting though the door, looking absolutely irate. He walked past Rori, who followed.  
  
Lucuis drew a door back onto the door they entered through and opened it. Before Rori could make it back to the mansion Lucius grabbed her by her robes and threw her the ground.  
  
"What the hell was that for?!"  
  
Lucuis looked furious.  
  
"Crucio!" he cried.  
  
Pain, worse than before, surged through her veins and her brain, and pounded in her ears.  
  
"Of all the trouble you caused me with master, at least he has finally given me permission to do with you how I will! WHEN WILL YOU LEARN YOUR PLACE YOU STUPID GIRL?!"  
  
And with that he walked off.  
  
Rori gathered herself and stormed off to her room. She was finished with all of this. She took her dagger and slashed all of Malfoy's precious curtains and beadspread and set them ablaze with her lighter. She grabbed her bag, swept her robes over her head, and disappeared. If it was one thing Rori was good at (besides potions), it was causing destruction then vanishing without a trace.  
  
She silently slid out of the front door and began to run when she heard Malfoy's screams. She smiled all the way to the edge of the wood, woods.trees, that's all there was. Now that Rori thought of it, she hadn't the slightest clue as to where she was. Just then, she saw Malfoy at his front door, cursing his head off: priceless.  
  
Rori had been wandering for hours, and it was beginning to get very dark-she hated the dark, not to mention being lost.  
  
"God, I need a cigarette," she said to herself, lighting one and taking a long, satisfying drag. "Much better."  
  
"Those'll kill you, you know." Rori screamed and looked in the direction of the voice, praying it wasn't Lucius. To her.semi-relief, it was the other man she saw almost strangled to death, back at the shack, Severus.Snape, was it?  
  
"Wh-What do you want?"  
  
"You're lucky I've found you. You could be killed out here, although, after your performance at the Malfoy mansion, I think you're pretty well off. Very impressive, I must say. Now, come with me, I need to give you your teaching supplies."  
  
"What? No way! I was really content NOT being a part of this side- show of a world! I just said yes to that "Lord" that I'd do it so he didn't kill me! So, I'm not going," Rori protested and took another drag, which immediately flew out of her hand and into Snape's fingers, who then proceeded to smoke.  
  
"Well, if you don't come with me, I could always kill you.master's orders," Snape smirked.  
  
Rori paced for a minute, muttering under her breath. As she looked down, she realized she couldn't see her feet. She was still invisible!  
  
"How can you see me?!"  
  
Snape hesitated.  
  
"I saw the light of your cigarette in the dark."  
  
"Oh," Rori said, as she reappeared.  
  
"I think it would be in your best interest if you were to come with me, there are things I must explain to you."  
  
"Absolutely not! You're just going to have to kill me, then." *Damnit! What am I doing?* Rori thought.  
  
"Well, I'm not actually going to kill you, I just said that so you would come. You are far too valuable for the cause."  
  
"Cause? What cau-"  
  
"So, I'll just have to take you with me using force."  
  
He pulled out his wand, and just as he was about to cast his spell, the wand flew out of his hand and into Rori's.  
  
"I may have had zero training for stuff like this, but, as you can see, I did an excellent job teaching myself."  
  
She pointed her wand at him.  
  
"Now, as I was saying, I am fed up with being told what to do. I don't generally take well to authority. When others don't respect me, I don't respect them, and this is what happens- tables get turned."  
  
Snape didn't move, he just looked at her blankly. Rori tried reading his mind but could pick up nothing. "What an empty excuse for a human being!" Rori laughed to herself.  
  
Rori smiled, "Now, tell me how to get out of here, and maybe I'll let you go."  
  
"Certainly," Snape said, very calmly. "Just walk that way for about 30 minutes." he said as he pointed. Rori looked to where his finger was pointing and when she looked back to him, he was gone.  
  
"AH! Damnit! I'm so stu--"  
  
Snape appeared behind her, covered her mouth, pulled her head back, and grabbed his wand, all in one sweeping motion.  
  
They appeared with a pop in a broom closet. "Not again!" Rori moaned.  
  
"Not again what?"  
  
"Ugh, nevermind."  
  
They exited the closet and were in a pub.  
  
" Follow me."  
  
They walked out of the pub and into the light-less cobblestone street. They entered a store without a name. The shop was filled with glass jars full of who knows what. Snape handed the man behind the counter a sheet of paper, who then went into, what Rori assumed was a storage room.  
  
"What are we doing here?"  
  
Snape didn't answer.  
  
The man came back out with a rather large box and placed it on the counter. Snape then thrusted the incredibly heavy box into Rori's arms. Something made noise in the back room and the man went back to check it out.  
  
"You will take the train to school which leaves from Platform 9 ¾, just walk through the wall between platforms 9 and 10. After you get off, look for a giant named Hagrid, he will direct you to the Great Hall for the feast. Don't bring anything else but this box with you, and that silly little bag if you want. I will see you at school," Snape said hurriedly and hushed, he didn't want the man in the back to hear what he was saying, apparently.  
  
And with a pop, he disappeared. 


	6. At Hogwarts

***A.N. Keep the reviews coming! I don't know how some of you feel about the story-I'll take any suggestions you have! I know the storie's a little slow right now, but no worries, Rori's off to her first teaching job! With no prior experience! This should be good.***  
  
"Well WHAT am I supposed to do now?!" Rori whined, standing in the middle of the cobblestone side street. It was pretty dark, and creepy, but from where she was standing, she could see the main streets.  
  
"Thank God," she sighed, and began to shuffle as fast as she could toward the inviting glow of the main streets.  
  
She felt absolutely ridiculous, scuffling around the streets of London with a huge box in her arms dressed in a Halloween costume. Come to think of it, Rori hadn't changed clothes in the past 2 days.  
  
"I look disgusting. I need a shower!" Rori was not used to going a day without one, bad hygiene was an issue in her book.  
  
She finally made it to the train station and walked up to Platform 9 ¾. "I hope this is it." She casually leaned against the wall between platforms 9 and 10, and fell through with a yelp.  
  
"Ugh! Well, at least he didn't lie to me!" Rori groaned as she struggled to overcome the incredible amount of pressure the box was giving her, and slowly inched up from the ground. She turned around to see a train, whistling and-pulling out?!  
  
Rori shuffled as fast as she could the back of the train, placed the box on the ledge, and hoisted herself up just before it really started to pick up speed.  
  
"I really have to cut back on the smoking," Rori said to herself through panting breaths.  
  
She entered the train and was knocked over by a flash of blue light.  
  
"That's it! I'm fed up with-what is going on?!" Rori screamed, as she saw two boys beating the hell out of each other on the floor, being cheered and yelled at by some students behind them. "Stop it!" Rori dropped the box and rushed at the boys and pulled them apart. "Stop it! What's this all about?!"  
  
"What do you care?" said one of the boys from the fight. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, one of which began to turn an ugly shade of purple.  
  
"Well, for ONE thing, one of you almost knocked me out as I entered! I'm tired, hungry, and I haven't showered in two days. And from what I have just seen- I'm POSITIVE that teaching at this school is going to be less than enjoyable!" Rori finished in one breath and brushed her hair out of her face.  
  
The students in the car all gaped at her.  
  
"You're going to teach here? But you're.young!" said the other boy from the fight, whose glasses were cracked and hanging off his nose.  
  
"Yes, I am your new potions teacher, Professor.." Rori shuddered at the term Professor; she made her position official, no going back. "...Fitzgerald." That didn't sound right, this was too bizarre.  
  
A red-headed boy in the back broke the momentary silence, "If you're the new potions professor, then that means Snape ." the boy trailed off with a smile. Half of the students were smiling, the others didn't look happy.  
  
"That Professor Snape will be teaching.ehhh, some other class, I'm assuming."  
  
"The Dark Arts!" said the now smiling blonde boy. The expressions the students were wearing did a 180. Those who were smiling, were now frowning, the frowning ones were now glowing.  
  
"Now, what, may I ask are your names? I have a feeling someone like the Headmaster would like to hear about this." "WOW, having authority is great!" she thought.  
  
"Harry," said the boy with the glasses.  
  
"Ron," said the blonde boy.  
  
"That is not your name Draco Malfoy!" squealed one of the on looking girls.  
  
"Draco Malfoy? As in, Lucius Malfoy's son?"  
  
"Yeah, that's me."  
  
Rori's mouth curled into a devilish smile, "Well, I'll be sure to report this to the Headmaster upon arrival. Now break it up and be civil until we arrive at school."  
  
"But don't you want to hear what happened?"  
  
"I could not care less as to why you were fighting, or WHY no one decided to try and stop you two. Everyone here is at fault. You two clean yourselves up and go back to your compartments and behave yourselves."  
  
They all turned away, shot harsh looks at each other and walked off. She took a seat in the compartment next to her and went limp. "Ugh! What a day! I'm not too bad at this teacher thing!" she thought, and began to drift off to the soothing sounds of the train.  
  
Rori had the best, non- assisted, sleep she'd had in a long time. She finally woke up and looked out the window at the NOT MOVING scenery! How long had she slept?! She noticed her box was gone, and panicked. She flew out of the compartment and out of the train. Raced up the hill towards the school all the way up to the front doors and didn't stop, she ran through the doors and straight towards a pair of huge doors and burst through.  
  
"Sorry I'm late!" She said, in between breaths. She stopped dead when she realized everyone in the hall was staring at her. Boy, did she feel stupid, way to be punctual the first day, what an impression.  
  
"Students and teachers, I would like to introduce you to your new potions teacher, Professor Fitzgerald!" came the booming voice of the Headmaster at the other end of the hall.  
  
"Heh, hello," Rori said uncomfortably.  
  
"Please, Professor, come join us," said the smiling white-bearded Headmaster, as he motioned to an empty seat "gulp" next to Snape.  
  
Rori hurried across the room as all eyes followed with her, and took her seat.  
  
"Now let the feast begin!"  
  
"They waited for me?" Rori thought, thoroughly embarrassed by now, and she could see Snape nodding his head.  
  
"Excellent work, really, Bravo. Dumbledore was right, you will shape out to be a spectacular teacher here," he sarcastically snapped at her.  
  
"Thanks, I try hard," Rori snapped back.  
  
"Don't--" Snape began, but she wouldn't have it.  
  
"Don't what? Take that tone with you? We are equals here, I'm not someone you can order around."  
  
And with that, Snape returned to his dinner. Rori hadn't eaten a decent meal in days-she was starving-so she dug into the sumptuous feast before her.  
  
After dinner, Snape told Rori that he would direct her to her living quarters. But that's not where they ended up. Snape led her to Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Shut the door please, Severus," said Dumbledore. "Now," he smiled "Why do you think I hired you to take up the difficult task of teaching the students at this school Potions?"  
  
"Because, somehow you knew I was good at it?" Rori replied.  
  
"Wrong. I hired you because Voldomort hired you."  
  
"Wait, are you working for him or something?"  
  
"No, no Professor. When Severus here, told me that Voldomort was going to take you in as a spy and have you teach here, I figured that you could assist us in his defeat," he finished with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. He sort of reminded Rori of a skinny Santa Clause.  
  
"Well, let me ask you what I asked Voldomort in hopes that you won't scream at me and attempt to burn my arm off: Why should I?"  
  
Snape gave a groan of annoyance behind Rori and she spun around. "What? What is it this time? I'm a bit new to all of this! You could be a little more considerate! I have been thrown into it all, without the chance to even think about my options, it was either 'Join us Rori' or 'We'll kill you Rori.' And I'd like to live, if you don't mind! And where do you get off throwing a box in my face and leaving me to figure the rest out on my own? I'm not saying I'm not capable enough of figuring things out, but you could have stuck around to answer one of the million questions I had before you vanished!"  
  
"Miss Fitzgerald," Dumbledore began; Rori wasn't finished.  
  
"By the way, do you know that I almost missed the train, and I lost that stupid box? Yes?" she said, turning back to Dumbledore. "Oh, sorry. Heh. I'm a little on edge right now."  
  
"That's perfectly understandable. Why don't you take a seat , you too, Severus. I will explain all that I can ," he said, as he put up a hand to stop Snape from lashing back at Rori, who, Rori could see, was just as irate as she was, if not more.  
  
"To put it simply, we are the good guys, so to speak. I'm sure you have realized this because of how both Voldomort and Lucius have treated you."  
  
"How does he know this?" Rori thought.  
  
"Because I told him, you idiot," came another voice.  
  
"Who IS that?!" she thought again to herself.  
  
"The owner of that voice COULD be sitting right next to you," came the voice.  
  
"You? Wait, I thought that voice sounded familiar," she thought back. Then Rori came to the realization that when Snape spoke to her the first time like this, he was actually being-- kind, not the annoying git she had thought him to be. (AN: I put "realization" because she didn't think this, she felt it, so Snape didn't know she thought that he was kind-or a git).  
  
"I didn't know you could do this t-wait you know what? I asked this man a question," pretending to pay attention to Dumbledore, smiling and nodding, "and I'd like to hear his answer."  
  
"I'll tell you what he says later, I've heard the speech before."  
  
Dumbledore's voice came back into focus: "So, I suppose I could give you until tomorrow morning to make your final decision. Now Severus, if you would be so kind as to show Aurora here to her living quarters."  
  
Snape led Rori out of the office and down the corridor to her room, but it was more like a miniature house.  
  
"Make yourself at home because it will all you will have for the next year. Your classroom is around the corner to the right. What Dumbledore was saying is, essentially, if you do not join us here at Hogwarts in the fight to defeat Voldomort, we will have to report you to the ministry and they will cart you off to prison where you will wallow in your sorrow for the rest of your life. Of course," he continued, in a matter-of-fact tone, "you don't have to do what we tell you, it's just something to sleep on."  
  
He turned at left Rori in her awe of the room.  
  
She walked in to find a fire-lit living room attached to the kitchen and a door that led to the bedroom, sort of like a fancy hotel room. She made her way into the bedroom where she found her box. It wasn't stolen!  
  
She opened the box to find an even smaller box with a letter attached to it. The boxed contained a wand, and the letter read:  
  
I realize that you do not contain the skills necessary to use this wand properly, but I have a feeling that after practicing a few simple spells, you'll get the hang of it. If you don't, then it is no big loss, you will skill have your potions knowledge. Inside you'll find a class schedule, attendance sheets,books, and a class-by-class teaching guide that I have used for some time.  
  
It was unsigned, but Rori knew it was from Snape. Rori roamed around the room and found the kitched stocked with food. The armoire in the bedroom contained clothes that seemed to be just her size, and her favorite colors, deep violets and plums laced with black.  
  
"New clothes, new home, what could be missing?" Rori thought. "A SHOWER!" So, fulfilled the missing item and went to bed. She already felt like home, there was no way she would leave this one too, besides, the third time was always usually the charm. 


	7. Blood Letter

AN: THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS SO FAR! I REALLY HOPE YOU ARE ENJOYING THIS STORY, I LOVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, AND I GOBBLE THOSE REVIEWS UP!!!  
  
That night, Rori couldn't sleep a wink. She felt like she was coming down with something. She felt hot and her skin was crawling. Lying in bed and extremely bored, she decided to explore her new home. Throwing one of her many purple robes on and sliding into her plush slippers, Rori exited her room only to find her living room completely trashed. She wanted to scream, but she in far too much shock to utter anything.  
  
The new books were lying in pieces all over the floor, the window panes were cracked, the curtains and couch were slashed. During her horrific examination of the room, Rori stopped dead in front of the fireplace. Floating above the mantle, was an envelope, covered in blood. Slowly, hands violently shaking, she reached out and grabbed the envelope. Trembling, she carefully tore it open, the blood staining her fingertips. The letter read:  
  
Revenge is only sweet for those who seek it.  
  
That was all; the sentence was simple, but powerful. She examined the blood-stained letter more closely to find something else written on the back:  
  
This is not my blood. This is not my blood.  
  
Panic stricken, Rori stuffed the letter in her pocket and began to search for her wand.  
  
"Please be here! Please be here! Ah-ha! There you are!" she picked up her wand, grabbed a lantern that was hanging by the door, and went cautiously into the dark hallway.  
  
"Fierio," she whispered, as flames flew out of her wand and into the lantern. She walked down the hallway only a few paces when she realized that she never owned a wand before. Grimacing to herself, she realized she must have sub-consciously picked up the ability to use it from Lucius. Could he have done this? No, because from what she remembered hearing from Dumbledore (at least when she decided to ignore Snape trying to communicate with her) was that no one can simple enter Hogwarts grounds, it was very secure. "Then it must be from someone from the school," she thought. But who would do such a thing? No one really knew here, yet.  
  
Her nose began to tingle and Rori rubbed it incessantly before realizing that she was not alone in the hallway. It may have been dark and empty, but every time her nose itched, Rori knew something was not quite right. She looked up and down the hall and set her eyes on a figure silhouetted by moonlight at the far end of the corridor.  
  
"Who's there?" Rori demanded, as she quickly walked towards the figure, which then took off down another corridor. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" she said, as she began to run after it. The lantern she was carrying was far too heavy for her to run at full speed, so when she was close enough, Rori raised her wand and ropes shot out and tangled themselves around the figure. "You!" she shouted, when she raised the lantern. It was Harry, the boy from the train, and he looked terrified. "What the hell did you think you were doing?!"  
  
"Who on earth are you talking to, Professor?" came a voice from behind. Rori spun around to see Snape. "And what are you doing wandering around? I would have thought that considering wh--."  
  
"I was wandering around because SOMEONE," she shot a look of accusation at Harry, who was now cowering, white as a ghost, behind her, "decided it would be FUNNY to vandalize the new professor's room!"  
  
"Really?" Snape responded with a sympathetic frown. "And who would this..culprit, be?"  
  
"Him! Harry! Yes, that's right," she said, turning back to him, pointing, "I remember your name and your face!"  
  
Snape's eyebrows were raised. "Potter? Well, I'm not surprised, that boy doesn't know how to behave. But where is he?"  
  
"Right there!" Rori pointed to the exact spot he was standing in.  
  
Snape gave her a quizzical look and walked toward Harry, hand outstretched. Snape grasped Harry's head and pulled off the cloak he was wearing. Rori couldn't recall seeing that man so happy since she met him, granted, she didn't meet him too long ago.  
  
"Well, Mr. Potter," he sneered, "Lucky for us, Professor Fitzgerald here, can see right through your little invisibility cloak." His smile broadened. "Now there is no way for you to hide. He vandalized your room, did you say?"  
  
"Yes, well, I didn't see him, but who else would have done that?"  
  
"I didn't do--," Harry began.  
  
"Silence boy!" hissed Snape.  
  
"Probably getting back at me for not letting him finish Lucius' son off on the train, that little shit," she mumbled the last bit, referring to Draco.  
  
Snape looked shocked, but continued.  
  
"Well, well, Potter. There are no excuses now. Imagine how upset the Headmaster will be when he finds out he was woken up because his 'special little Gryffindor' was YET AGAIN breaking the rules!"  
  
  
  
Dumbledore looked extremely angry, and tired. Snape was right when he said he would not be pleased.  
  
"Harry, please, tell me why you were wandering around the school."  
  
"He was--," Snape started, but Dumbledore raised his hand to stop him and looked at Harry.  
  
"Go on, Harry," he said, glancing back at Snape who looked menacing.  
  
"I was, uhhh, hungry, so I ehh, decided to try and find the kitchens," Harry said, squirming under three pairs of eyes bearing down on him.  
  
"Liar," Rori whispered.  
  
"Now, what is your story, Professor?" asked Dumbledore.  
  
Rori told him about her room and how she found him wandering the dark corridor.  
  
"He was wearing this, Headmaster," said Snape, producing Harry's invisibility cloak from his side.  
  
"I see," Dumbledore was clearly thinking it all over in his mind.  
  
"I swear I didn't!" came Harry's now shaking voice.  
  
"I believe you, Harry," he said, and at that moment, both Snape and Rori lifted their arms in anger and began to shout simultaneously. Rori blurted out bits about how he should be punished for what he had done and what had occurred on the train; Snape began to list all of the trouble Harry had ever caused since he stepped foot in Hogwarts, throwing in reasons for his expulsion.  
  
"Now both of you be quiet!" Dumbledore shouted, shutting both of them up.  
  
"You will receive three detentions for your actions. I know that I am not head of your house, but I have a feeling Professor McGonagall will be furious with me as well if I were to disturb her slumber. One of those detentions you will spend cleaning Professor Fitzgerald's quarters, the others will be decided by Professor McGonagall. Fifty points will be deducted, and I have no choice but to confiscate your invisibility cloak."  
  
Rori could see that Harry was heartbroken, and Dumbledore did not look pleased that he had to take his cloak.  
  
"Severus, Miss Fitzgeral, you are dismissed. Thank you for you assistance, I must have a few words with Harry alone. Oh! But before you go," Dumbledore said, reaching into his desk and pulled out two roles of parchment and handed them to both Severus and Rori. Snape handed back the cloak upon receiving the roll, and they both turned and left. 


	8. Frustration

** AN: I'm so sorry this took so long!! I've just been bombarded with work! But now that the holiday break is almost here, I promise more updates more often!!!! Please Review!! Thanks to all who have done so!! ~cranberry  
  
Oh look at how she listens  
  
She says nothing of what she thinks  
  
She just goes stumbling through her memories  
  
Staring out on to Grey Street  
  
She thinks, "Hey,  
  
How did I come to this?  
  
I dream myself a thousand times around the world,  
  
But I can't get out of this place"  
  
There's an emptiness inside her  
  
And she'd do anything to fill it in  
  
But all the colors mix together - to grey  
  
And it breaks her heart  
  
How she wishes it was different  
  
She prays to God most every night  
  
And though she swears it doesn't listen  
  
There's still a hope in her it might  
  
She says, "I pray  
  
But they fall on deaf ears,  
  
Am I supposed to take it on myself?  
  
To get out of this place"  
  
There's loneliness inside her  
  
And she'd do anything to fill it in  
  
And though it's red blood bleeding from her now  
  
It feels like cold blue ice in her heart  
  
When all the colors mix together - to grey ("Grey Street" by Dave Matthews) *********************************************************************  
  
"He should be suspended for the vandalism he's caused," said Rori, through gritted teeth. "If it's one thing I can't stand, it's teacher's pets like him that get away with everything."  
  
"Yes, well, Potter seems to have that man wrapped around his little finger," said Snape with loathing.  
  
"Why aren't you going to your quarters?" asked Rori, when she realized that both of them were standing in front of her room.  
  
"I thought it would be wise if you were to show me the incredible amount of damage that Potter inflicted upon your room, that is, if you have no objections."  
  
"Oh no, of course not, in fact it is an excellent idea, this way I can have some help describing the aftermath of the hurricane to Dumbledore," Rori said with a smile that faded quickly when she saw her room: it was spotless.  
  
"But-but it was a mess!!!" Rori shrieked as they stepped inside.  
  
"I believe you," came a voice behind them, it was Dumbledore.  
  
"Well, you just believe everyone now, don't you?" Rori said, sarcastically.  
  
"Sorry," she said after receiving an icy stare from both of them.  
  
There was an awkward pause until-  
  
"This," said Rori, producing the piece of paper in her pocket, "was floating above my fireplace. See that? Written in blood! And apparently it's not the culprits."  
  
"Thank you for pointing out the obvious, Professor," said Dumbledore, still angry from Rori's previous comment to him.  
  
"If you don't mind, which I'm sure you won't, I will give this to Severus to analyze," he said, handing the parchment to Snape. Rori could only nod.  
  
"But that doesn't explain how this was all cleared away," Rori said, extremely confused and feeling as though she was being left out of something very important.  
  
"Magic, my dear," said Dumbledore, waving his hands like one of those theatrical magicians Rori used to watch on TV.  
  
Dumbledore left, mumbling something about sleep as he walked away.  
  
"Well," said Snape, and after a moment of silence continued with a terse "Good night," and left.  
  
"Wait," said Rori, meekly calling back Snape because she realized that at his pace of walking he'd be too far to hear anything. She wanted to ask him if he wanted to stay for some tea, after all, he helped her cart that little trouble-maker Potter off to Dumbledore.  
  
Rori sighed and collapsed on to the sofa and tried to think of what the writing on the parchment meant. "Revenge is only sweet for those who seek it," and "This is not my blood." kept rolling around in her mind. What could it all mean? Was Potter getting his revenge-if it was even him? And who's blood was on the paper? And how on EARTH did she not hear anything?  
  
"Ugh! I was never good at these things!" Rori said, getting up from the couch. She paced for a while and mulled over everything that had happened to her ever since she left home.  
  
"I hate this! I hate all of this!" said Rori, getting into an old habit of hers: talking to herself. "I don't want any of this. I wish I was never burdened with these-these- ablilities! Why can't I just go back to being a big fish in a small pond?! Life was so much easier!" She walked into her bedroom and began to unpack her box of school supplies. She turned her duffle bag over on her floor and sat down in front of the mess of cigarettes, money, and clothes. She picked up her journal when something fell out of it. It was a photo of her and her friends from home. Rori was on the far left on her beau, Andy's shoulders. To their left were her best friends Katie and Jamie. Their boyfriends, Joe and Christian were next to them, kissing their respective girlfriend's cheek. Rori could feel tears swelling in the back of her eyes.  
  
"Stop it Aurora Marie Fitzgerald! That's all done with! They used you for all you were worth then abandoned you!"  
  
Now tears began to spill down her cheeks and she began to cough.  
  
"That's what," Rori started to sniff and cough more, almost uncontrollably now; "I get for trusting others! It was my own fault! I let them use me for my powers and what do they do? Shun me! Even Andy.. Get over it! That's done with!" she shouted.  
  
After washing her tears away, Rori decided to look at her supplies for class. She committed the lesson plan Snape had given her to memory, then, after finishing off a bottle of whiskey she found in cabinet (full of alcohol), she drifted off to sleep. 


	9. First Day

I've had this done for a few days, but I had problems with my internet connection!! Grr! But all better now! Read on! AN: Thanks for all the reviews! Thanks to Pleiades for the constructive criticism (- you'll notice though (from the beginning of the story) that Rori does not seem to like her name either-in fact I hate it, too. At first I didn't, but now it's getting on my nerves. I might change it once I'm finished with the story.  
  
This is quite a long chapter, but it was one of my favorites to write (so far).  
  
The definitions of Wormwood, aconite, etc. are all thanks to Roger Highfield, author of "The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works." I recommend it because it provides insight to J.K. Rowlings story of our favorite little wizard.  
  
And don't worry fuscia! More Lucius to come! Oh, and I never mentioned Rori's age-mwah hahha. You will find out very soon!  
  
*This goes out to my new friend Blaise Snape! Read her story: A Shadow's Apprentice (under her fanfic name Blaise A. H. Snape).Tell her cranberry sent you!  
  
Rori woke up the next morning with an immense headache. Groggy and swollen- eyed, she rolled out of bed and shuffled her way over to her potion supplies sitting on her desk.  
  
"Now what were the ingredients again? I need to get rid of this hangover! I can't teach in this state!" Rori gasped, "I'm going to be late!" she said, as she looked at the unique clock on the wall: one of the hands was inching its way closer and closer to a slot labeled "You are late!"  
  
"Think fast Rori, think! Ummm, oh that's it! 2 parts bat saliva, 1 part wolfsbane...there we go," she gulped the vile liquid and ran out of her room with her books. She got all the way her entrance when she realized she wasn't dressed.  
  
She burst through the door to her classroom out of breath and disheveled.  
  
"I apologize for my tardiness! It is inexcusable and I had better not find any of you following my example. It will cost you a detention," she said as she plopped her books on her desk and quickly brushed a few strands of hair out of her face. She opened her notebook to her list of students and their houses for that period. It was a class of Slytherin and Gryffindor fifth years.  
  
After role was called, and after Rori flinched at the sound of Draco Malfoy's name, class began. Butterflies sped around in her stomach before she asked her first class her first question:  
  
"Can anyone tell me anything about the legendary potion that goes by the name 'The Draft of Living Death?'"  
  
One girls hand shot up; Rori recognized her as the girl on the Hogwarts Express, watching (and attempting to stop) the fight between Harry and Draco.  
  
"Yes, ehh, what was your name again?"  
  
"Hermione Granger," exclaimed the bushy red-haired girl.  
  
"Alright, Hermione, go ahead and tell me and your classmates about 'The Draft of Living Death.'"  
  
Hermione cleared her throat and her classmates groaned. "'Draft of Living Death' is a sleeping potion created by mixing large quantities of wormwood and asphodel," she finished with a perfect smile.  
  
"Excellent, five points for Gryffindor. Now, can anyone tell me what wormwood and asphodel are?"  
  
Hermione's hand shot up again, as well as Draco's and another student's. Rori ignored Draco and Hermione and instead, chose to call on the owner of the other hand, leaving a look of utter disappointment on Hermione's face.  
  
"Yes, you," Rori said, pointing at him, "What is your name, again?"  
  
"N-Neville Longbottom," he said timidly, as all of his classmates whipped themselves around to look at him in utter disbelief.  
  
"Wormwood," he began, looking down at his hands, "is the b-bitter ingredient of the l-liqueur absinthe that also contains th-thujone, which s- stimulates the nervous system. But w-what Hermione did not mention is th- the fact that if it is consumed in large quantities, it can cause brain damage and e-even d-death, causing the p-potion to be ineffective." At this comment Neville stopped when he looked up at Hermione, whose jaw had dropped; and all of the classmates looked shell-shocked.  
  
"Continue Neville," Rori said, smiling, realizing that this student was not exactly the outspoken one of the class.  
  
"Asphodel is a m-member of the lily family with clusters of white flowers that was as-ssociated by Greek legend with the underworld," Neville finished, going back to a normal breathing pattern.  
  
"Excellent Neville, excellent! Exactly what I was looking for. Ten points to Gryffindor."  
  
"Now, who can tell me about aconite? Anyone? Hermoine?"  
  
"Well, I'm not sure actually. I read about it a long time ago, but isn't that poison a bit....advanced for fifth years?"  
  
"Certainly not. I found out-*ahem*- was TAUGHT -about it when I was younger than you all are now. But...if you don't think you can handle merely RESEARCHING the subject...."  
  
"No! We are! We can handle it!"  
  
Rori's lips curled into a smirk when she saw Hermione's enthusiasm to do the assignment against her classmates' violent shaking heads, wanting to skip over the work.  
  
"Very well. You are all to write me two and a half parchments on the history of aconite. I would also like you to include the history of various other poisons and their ingredients. You may begin now and work on it for the remainder of class."  
  
The moaned as they opened up their books and began to scribble down notes; Rori opened her own book and pretended to write notes as well. She figured this was a perfect opportunity to learn what her first class of students thought about her. But when she read their minds she found that not all of them were thinking about her.  
  
"How on EARTH did Neville know that? He would have never opened his mouth if Snape were standing up there! And with Malfoy here? What's gotten into him?" came Hermione's voice.  
  
"Who does she think she is? Wait until father hears about how much work she's given us on the first day!" Rori didn't even have to look to see who was thinking that because it sounded oddly familiar, kind of like Lucius Malfoy.  
  
"Well, at least she's no Snape, we can be grateful for that. Neville is probably the most thankful, I've never heard him open his mouth in any class, especially potions!" came, surprisingly, Harry Potter's voice.  
  
Class ended and the students nearly toppled over each other trying to get out. Rori didn't have another class for a while, so she decided to practice her wand waving skills (or lack thereof). She opened up a book of simple spells and began to read:  
  
"Wingardium Leviosa!" she shouted just as a voice was heard at the door. It was Snape. He stepped into the room and was lifted off his feet.  
  
"Whoops," Rori said with a sly smile, but Snape did not look pleased.  
  
"Put me down, immediately," he growled.  
  
"Hmmmm, I. don't. think. I. know. how," Rori said slowly and sarcastically, forcing herself to go slightly cross eyed.  
  
"Don't be a twit. Let me down or I will make you wish that you-"  
  
"Alright! Alright!"  
  
Rori lowered her wand quickly and Snape hit the floor hard-she made sure it was on his back. Snape composed himself and stormed up to Rori, his eyes were glistening and his jaw pulsing.  
  
"I said I was sorry, take a joke, will you?" Rori said as she stood up and walked to behind her to a table full of potion bottles.  
  
"What's this I hear about you assigning fifth years a paper about poison?"  
  
"What about it?" she said, turning around.  
  
"You did not follow the guidelines I gave you for class," he said through gritted teeth.  
  
"Well, I did not think that the students would feel that studying a potion that cures hiccoughs would be the least bit interesting or helpful!" she said pompously, "Besides, don't you think it would be better to teach about a topic I understand well? A topic to which I can answer any and all of the students' questions thoroughly?"  
  
"Just FOLLOW the guidelines. It is NOT that DIFFCULT," Snape said, seething, and poorly attempting to keep his composure.  
  
"I am in charge of this class now. I will make sure I teach the students all that you have outlined for me in due time. Let me do my job, you do yours. I don't tell you how to teach your students, do I?"  
  
"You would not be here had it not been for Dumbledore's good graces. So be thankful and do what is asked of you!"  
  
"Good graces?? I never asked for any of this! I'm just a pawn who has no other choice, and if I did not join both sides quietly I would likely find myself as-as," irate, Rori stumbled over what to say, "We'll let's just say I'd be the recipient of a brand new toe-tag!"  
  
Snape raised an eyebrow and looked at her as though he had never seen anyone act so strange. She was not like a bomb waiting to explode, as Snape once thought; instead, he saw her as a line of fire crackers, constantly going off whenever it was lit.  
  
"That reminds me. Here," said Snape, producing a piece of parchment from his pocket, a bit more calm after seeing her surpass him in anger "I was going to give this to you this morning, before your class, but for *some* reason... You were not there," he said, handing the parchment to Rori, which she recognized as the blood stained note from last night. "I did my studies and found that the blood is that of human and canine."  
  
"Dog?" just then, it began to dawn on her. "W-what kind of dog, Severus?"  
  
"I'm not quite sure," his eyes narrowed, "And do not address me by my first name. You are to call me Professor Snape."  
  
Now Rori's heart was racing. It couldn't be what she thought it was, could it? "It's not possible," she thought, "He cannot possibly be that cruel."  
  
"Who could not possibly be that cruel?" Snape sneered at her.  
  
"Stop reading my mind, will you?!" she snapped. She walked over to her desk and violently flipped open a book called "Hogwarts: Travel and Trek." "And I WILL call you by your first name, we are colleagues. You are not my professor (thank god)," she snapped back, muttering the last part.  
  
"Excuse me?" Snape said, approaching her desk, but stopped upon finally seeing what she was looking through. "Is that what I think it is?" Rori ignored him, consumed by the contents of the book. "You cannot leave the premises of this school except for," Snape looked behind him to make sure no students were present, "the purpose of a mission designated to us by either Dumbledore or Voldomort!" he hushed with ferocity.  
  
"I am perfectly aware of that."  
  
"Lunch is in ten minutes, even if I did not know about your *departure*, Dumbledore will notice an empty seat at the table!"  
  
"Which is why I am sure that you will pass my absence onto Dumbledore for me," she said as she ran her finger along the book, making sure she read every line.  
  
"You are not going anywhere. Whatever your issue is it can wait for official permission from Dumbledore."  
  
Again ignoring him, Rori strode over to the fireplace. She went to reach into a pot on the mantle but was stopped when Snape violently grabbed her arm. Rori turned at looked at Snape with almost as much -if not more-hatred as he was staring her down with.  
  
"I said you are not going anywhere," he said in menacing tone.  
  
"If what is on this piece of paper what I think it is, then a situation requires my immediate attention. Explaining it all to Dumbledore would take up too much of my time, just as you are."  
  
With that, Rori used all of the strength she could gather and pushed Snape away from her. In the second that Snape was on the ground, Rori pulled out her wand.  
  
"Petrificus Totalus!" she shouted. "I'm sorry, but this is much more important than my own fate. You understand. I'll be back later. Hopefully."  
  
Rori reached in the pot and threw its contents into the fire. The flames flashed bright green and she cautiously stepped in. Snape was twisting on the ground, attempting to override the spell. Rori looked at him apologetically but snapped back to her task when she had seen Snape's legs separate.  
  
"King's Cross Station!" she shouted and a vision of Snape running towards her, arms glued to his sides, disappeared. 


	10. Determination

AN:Sorry it has been so long since an update! I thought during break I would have more time to write-well I couldn't have been more wrong. This chapter is more of a fill in, the next one will be amazing-I swear!!  
  
  
  
Rori hit the ground hard, stood up quickly and brushed herself off. She didn't care that she was receiving strange looks from the bustling crowd of the train station. She ran to the streets and hailed a taxi and climbed in. But just as she was about to tell the driver where to take her, the cab door opened: it was Snape. "Oh God, I told you, I have to go. I won't let you stop me!" Rori slid over to the other door of the taxi and stepped out. "Aurora! You are being far too rash!" Snape shouted, as he emerged from his side of the taxi. "Thanks for wasting my time! Freaks." the cab driver shouted, as he sped away. "What did you call me?" "Come here," Snape said, beckoning her over to the side walk, "Or you'll get hit." Realizing that she was in danger of being hit, clued in by the car horns going off, Rori walked over to the side walk and stood in front of Snape. "I told you, I need to take care of something," she said, her voice beginning to quiver-the overwhelming fear of what she might find out finally setting in. "I understand, just do me a favor and take a walk with me," Snape said. Rori looked at him quizzically. His demeanor had completely changed from aggressive and menacing to, well, there was no other term for it but gentle. "You know something," she said bluntly. "What do you mean by that?" "You know perfectly well what I mean. And stop blocking me out from reading you, I want to know now," Rori demanded. There was a long pause. People began pausing to look and point at them, their attire not exactly the most stylish in the muggle world. "That's it, if you won't tell me I'll just have to find out myself," Rori said, and began to walk away, but whipped around and narrowed her gaze, "Oh, and don't call me Aurora. I hate that name more than I hate being a teacher." Rori turned her back to Snape again, but he grabbed her arm and led her to a somewhat secluded spot at the side of the building. "I don't know anything. I was merely trying to..kindly...persuade you to come back to the school because nothing else seems to be working," Snape hissed. "Well you will not get me back there until I take care of some business!" Rori spoke back. "Alright, trying to take you back is clearly taking more time than I had hoped," Snape said, half murmuring to himself. "I will send a message to Dumbledore telling him where we will be." "Wait I'm sorry, did I just hear you say WE? There is no way---" "I am coming with you," Snape said, making it clear that there was to be no arguing. "Now where are we going?" "To my home; well, I should say the place where I used to live. I can't really call it a home," Rori shrugged, "I'd only be fooling myself." 


	11. The Dark Mark

Rori could only gaze blankly out the cab window, fearful of what she might find. Snape sat on the other side of the cab attempting to write a message to Dumbledore, which was proving to be much more difficult, than it seemed to Rori, he had wagered.  
  
They pulled up in front of a secluded area of extremely old, and extremely dilapidated homes; Rori's former home stood in the middle.  
  
"You live here?" Snape asked.  
  
"Surprised, are you?" Rori said, finally looking over her shoulder at him.  
  
They had been sitting in the cab, apparently, for a while, because the driver was becoming irate and was demanding his pay.  
  
"You handle it," Rori said, turning her head and getting out of the cab.  
  
She made her way toward the yellow home in the center of all the multi- colored decaying homes. The yellow paint was chipped so badly--the old salmon color showing through-that it was hard to tell what the original color was. Three of the four white shutters were still hanging on by rusty nails and the grass all around the area had been taken over by dandelions.  
  
Snape was arguing with the cab driver about the price for the ride, but Rori couldn't hear them because of what she saw on the door of her former home: it was the dark mark.  
  
"Oh God," Rori cried, and stopped dead in her tracks. All she could do was stare at the half-opened wooden door, its fellow screen door in pieces on the porch.  
  
Snape finally left the cap driver, flustered, mumbling under his breath. He stopped next Rori and looked from her face to the door. He gave a heavy sigh and walked past her to the house. But she didn't move, instead, she fell to the ground on her knees.  
  
Tears began to well up and fall down her cheeks uncontrollably. She knew the symbol, she recognized it from the night she became a member, the night when she had no other choice. It was the first time she was ever powerless, and the memories flooded back...  
  
The insurmountable pain on her arm... "Look at it," Voldomort's piercing Voice echoed in her mind...she couldn't make out the image at first...  
  
But now she knew, she knew the symbol perfectly. She snapped back to reality when an arm grasped her shoulder. She looked up into his eyes, and he knelt down beside her.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said, breathless, "But they are..dead."  
  
Rori could only shake her head. She dried her eyes and looked up at the house past his shoulder. She grasped his shoulder and helped herself up. She walked up the stairs and into the house. She floated through the living room and stopped in the kitchen, Snape followed. Rori became furious upon seeing their stiff bodies. The small circular table was overturned, as were the chairs. Rori shivered, the room was so cold and the feeling of death was suffocating. She bent down between her mother, shrouded in black, and her precious lab, Dante.  
  
"I told you I would be back," she said, lightly stroking the black lab's forehead. "I know we didn't get along all that well," she said, turning to her pale mother, "and I'm sorry for this. I'm sorry for having been such a burden. I loved you, I did. But I'm not sorry for what happened to your husband. He wasn't good for you, or me. It is my fault that this has happened, and I will pay back the one who has done this to you."  
  
Rori stood up and turned to the entrance to the kitchen to see Snape, and jumped.  
  
"Sorry," she laughed uncomfortably, "I forgot you were here for a second. Well, let's go back then," she said, passing by him.  
  
"Take all the time you--"  
  
"What? So suddenly you're in no rush? Stay here if you wish, but you'll go up in smoke with the rest of the house."  
  
Snape followed her out and spoke calmly but sternly, "I do not think it wise that you burn the house down."  
  
"Why," she said, not bothering to look at him, "No one lives here anymore."  
  
She stopped, turned and pointed her wand at the house.  
  
"He will pay for this with his life," she spoke with a menacing tone, her eyes piercing with hatred. "SUPERIO FIERO!"  
  
The house went up in flames like a pile of hay and Rori spun on her heels and walked away. Snape caught up with her, held her arm, and they apparated back to King's Cross Station. 


End file.
